Jetbee is a vertical racing game that stars an adorable jetpack-wearing bee known as Bimmy. Bimmy has set out to follow his grandfather’s dreams of becoming a racer. The main objective is to complete several racing cups against other bees in the hopes of winning them all.

Jetbee features three modes of play: single player, multiplayer, and never ending. Single player is the only mode that is unlocked at first, while the other two must be unlocked by leveling up. Players will get acquainted with the controls quickly. With a jetpack at their disposal, they must tap and press on the screen to help Bimmy fly high into the sky. There are more control options in the settings menu so players can customize the game controls to suit their needs. As they compete against other bee racers, they will encounter many things on each course like enemies, flower power-ups, special attacks, and traps. It’s a fight to the finish. Making it to the end offers awards to help players compete in other cups. There are currently a total of five different cups to unlock to earn prizes.

While playing alone is fun, playing with others makes the game more interesting. Gamers can play against up to eight others in over 20 different courses. When racing gets boring, they can always take a break and design their home with furniture that they win.

Jetbee’s graphics and controls make it an attractive game, but the playtime and replay value could use some improvements. I found myself dying a lot when other opponents crashed into me and my jetpack constantly ran out of fuel. Of course it’s possible to land to rest to gain more fuel, but it’s a race and there’s no time for resting. Furthermore, Jetbee is loaded with in-app purchases. The game uses beechips that are earned in races, but don’t expect to earn very many. The beechips are used to buy upgrades so Bimmy can stay competitive against other players. Jetbee also requires players to wait for refills unless they are willing to pay for recharges.

Jetbee shouldn’t be completely dismissed as it’s an entertaining game to play with friends and it offers a lot for its free price tag; but it also has the usual free-to-play mechanics. If players can get past that, it can be a fun game. It’s certainly not for the hardcore gamer, but those who enjoy a casual family-friendly game may want to add this to their collection.

Review disclosure: note that the product reviewed on this page may have been provided to us by the developer for the purposes of this review. Note that if the developer provides the product or not, this does not impact the review or score.